Daredevil, after four years in Kentucky, takes stud career back to Turkey

Classic sire Daredevil has arrived back in Turkey to continue his stud career after standing in Kentucky for the past four seasons, the Turkish Jockey Club has revealed.

The breed organization, which still owns the 12-year-old son of More Than Ready, revealed the roster and advertised fees for the stallions it owns on Friday. Daredevil is now advertised to be standing at Izmit Stud Farm for a fee of 250,000 lira, or about $7,196 in U.S. dollars. Following that roster release, the Turkish Jockey Club shared photos on its website Saturday morning of Daredevil arriving at Istanbul Airport late the night prior.

Daredevil has stood the past four years at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky as the property of the Turkish Jockey Club. The stallion, who covered 22 mares this season according to The Jockey Club’s Report of Mares Bred, was advertised with a $15,000 fee when Lane’s End published its roster in late October.

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Daredevil, winner of the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at 2 and Grade 2-placed at 3, stood his first four seasons at WinStar Farm in Kentucky before being sold to Turkish interests and standing in that country in 2020.

While overseas, his stock back in his native country skyrocketed. His first crop included Eclipse Award champion filly Swiss Skydiver, who defeated Kentucky Derby winner Authentic to win the Preakness Stakes; she also won the Grade 1 Alabama in that championship campaign, and was second in the Kentucky Oaks and the Grade 2 Blue Grass against males. She was second in that 2020 Oaks to another daughter of Daredevil, Shedaresthedevil. Both fillies eventually retired with three Grade 1 wins each, and career earnings of more than $2 million each.

Daredevil’s early success led him to return to Kentucky, and he stood the past four seasons at Lane’s End. His current 2-year-olds represent his return U.S. crop, and his sixth crop of racing age overall. He is the sire of seven winners from 33 juvenile starters this year through Dec. 6, including stakes-placed Dare to Breeze.

Overall, Daredevil is the sire of 10 career stakes winners and another 10 stakes-placed runners – including, from his first Turkish crop, Look At The Star, this year's Turkish Oaks runner-up.

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